My Failure As A Tooth Fairy

My oldest son lost his first tooth in the Detroit airport. The magical moment had finally arrived. But there was a problem: he’d really lost it. As in, we couldn’t find the tooth. Anywhere.

That night, my son and I wrote a note explaining our predicament to the fairy. The morning arrived, he looked under the pillow and…the note was still there. Yes, friends, I am a terrible and forgetful fairy.

The fairy incident of 2007 remains as yet another blot on my parenting record. But I share it with you since I’ve recently realized it holds some lessons that impact how I think about blogging.

When you start blogging, you start with the mistaken impression that something extraordinary is about to occur. It’s not. So, how do you let go of the fairy dust?

• Put your magic wand back in the closet: As the blogger, you do not have all the answers. Hopefully, you can intelligently discuss challenges and opportunities. But truly great posts activate group discussions that identify solutions together.

• Stop trying to fly: There is a real temptation to write posts that prove who you aspire to be as a thought leader or a firm. Resist that urge and write about ideas that reflect your core identity.

• Forget bribes: Even when my son finally got his delayed $1 from the tooth fairy, he did not exactly become a perfect child. We all know bribes don’t really work, so offering endless white papers, idea series or special downloads can sometimes just be too much. You may need less “fancy” content and more basic content that’s easy for your readers to grasp.

• Don’t get stuck underneath the pillow (it’s hot in there): It’s often called the echo chamber, and there’s a reason for that. The blogosphere can get pretty stifling. Are you really writing for other people that sell social media? If so, you are in the minority. I try to remind myself that every single one of my posts should make it easier for a professional services firm to understand the intersection of social media and public relations. Write useful, actionable insights for your audience, not for the influencers that you admire.

• Take off the sparkly costume: It’s not about you or your company. Very simply, if you consistently use your blog to shed light on others, you will see repayment twenty fold. People like Arik Hanson and firms like Zoetica are roles models that inspire me.

• Wake up the “kids:” I see many folks (BlissPR included) jumping in on “safe” blog topics. Forrester updates their social technographics ladder, then boom, a slew of posts evaluate it. That’s perfectly fine, but that’s a prudent post. If you really want to excite your audience, then focus on their pain and needs. Most of my clients won’t ever care much about that ladder, even if it’s really interesting to me.

So, it turns out that I’m a bad tooth fairy. (My record has improved with my second son, but marginally.) On the up side, it turns out that I am learning how to become a better blogger.

Do you have a magical strategy for successul blogging? Or a just hard won piece of advice we can learn from?

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About The B2Bblogger: As BlissPR’s Managing Director, Elizabeth Sosnow (@elizabethsosnow) wears a number of different hats. Elizabeth develops and oversees implementation of strategy for large clients, leads BlissPR’s social media strategy development,  and is also the firm’s Chief Media Trainer, helping clients maximize their direct interaction with the press. Finally, Elizabeth serves as a member of BlissPR’s management committee and helps to set future direction for the company.

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